Friday, January 31, 2014

Cumulus Plays Rope-A-Dope With Talk Hosts at 55 Hawthorne

Rope-a-Dope.

That's what Cumulus is doing now. In real terms they may be figuring out a way to finesse the format so they can save face. Yes, they don't want to admit that the "all-news" format is an abject failure so they have these cutesy "meet-and-greets" with hosts and "explore things", "explore all options." A few of their Atlanta consultants are inside the building now doing--you know, with the bad-looking suits that screams out loud: "I'm so damn nice!"

They began this "process" Thursday and today, (Friday), continue the coffee sessions. It's not just a KGO thing--they're meeting with the KSFO folks too, all 2-3 of 'em.

I have my own thoughts of what's going on and I'll give you some updates later in the day.

7 comments:

Given the abysmal "management" coming out of Atlanta, why doesn't Cumulus just go to the wall and remove even the last few remaining talk hosts, who add a puff of fresh air? Why mess around with slow and steady downward trends in listener numbers? Literally go all news, all of the time, and die on the vine. Then, sell off the entire operation at a huge loss. Then, maybe someone who realizes the Bay Area is an island of sanity in a national sea of low-brow conservatism, can come in and take things back toward where they were.

No one ever lost money betting on the total lack of creativity emanating from the vacuous ultra-conservative minds of the obscenely rich. Their bloated egos routinely overpower their miniscule cold-hearted intellect. And their inability to ever admit to making a mistake is legend. Witness Donald Trump.

Even a small-town ND like me knows what Cumulus has done is asinine and counterproductive, not to mention unsustainable. So was the old KGO, but it didn't need to be blown apart. The loss in listensership will probably never, ever recover. But, who am I? Just a rural news guy who could have done a much better job than guys and gals in thousand dollar suits and pants suits who don't know their... Well, you get the point. Thanks, Rich, for keeping on this. You've had some great posts lately.

When Cumulus carried out its "massacre" at the end of 2011, not only did it not consider the precipitous drop in (disappearance of?) ad revenue (big OOPS), it had no regard for, or clue about, the equally great drop in listenership. The combination of the two proved near-fatal. And not only were the listeners "shocked and surprised" by said massacre - but our empathy and concern for those hosts whose lives were forever changed - not for the better (and I hope Gene's family has some sort of litigation going for his death.......) - will not likely be soothed by any potential changes back to what so many of us perceived as normal. I say RIP, KGO. Let's start fresh with something meaningful and caring and relevant.

I loved Gene and his show, and miss him everyday, I really would like his take on todays events, you could always count on, that he had research the subject, would be fair, just honest very intellectual balanced opinions, without ranting and raving, no screaming, or calling anybody a communist, the anti Christ, or letting us believe the world or at least the US is coming to an end (i.e. Glenn Beck). Having said all that I don't think there is grounds for a law suit, Gene's stroke occurred 2-3 weeks after the was fired, and the more serious stroke several months or more later. More importantly he had numerous health problems long before his stroke, he had diabetes and had a history of falling without warning, which suggest TIA (mini strokes) which can be a pre curser to a stroke. I hate he was fired, and how he and they other hosts were treated, but to prove that the fired caused the stroke would be difficult. I doubt Gene's family would want to spend the money, time and energy to try to get some kind of settlement now that Gene is gone. I believe the all live back East and Florida.